ComBE Five vaccine will be launched nationwide to replace Quinvaxem from late December after being tested in seven provinces, the Vietnamese Ministry of Health announced on December 18.

The ComBE Five vaccine

According to the ministry’s report, ComBE Five obtained a license from the Ministry of Health in May 2017 and since October this year, the vaccine has been administered to more than 17,356 children aged 2 – 4 months in the provinces of Ha Nam, Ba Ria Vung Tau, Bac Giang, Binh Dinh, Yen Bai, Kon Tum, and Dong Thap.

The ComBE Five vaccine was developed in a safe manner. The children were closely monitored in three days after immunization. About 5.5% of the children had minor side effects while three babies had severe reactions, including high temperature, seizures and trouble breathing, according to local reports.

The conversion of DPT-VGB-Hib vaccine (ComBE Five) in seven provinces has been approved by the community. There is no refusal to vaccinate.

Produced by Indian vaccine manufacturer Biological E. Ltd., ComBE Five is a “five-in-one” vaccine that can help fight against five potentially fatal diseases affecting infants - diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenza type B.

ComBE Five has received the World Health Organization’s pre-qualification approval and more than 400 million doses of the vaccine have been administered to children in 43 countries and territories.